Earlier this month, EMILDAI co-hosted the two-day event “The Gavel and the Algorithm: Courts’ Role in a Data-Driven World”, alongside DCU’s Law and Tech Research Cluster, the Dublin European Law Institute, our associate partners ADAPT and IDP, and the Pontifical University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS). The event took place in the context of DCU Ethics and Privacy Week and focused on how courts and judges are responding to the challenges posed by data-driven technologies and artificial intelligence.

Bringing together leading judicial figures and academic experts, the event explored how judicial reasoning, transparency, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights are evolving in an increasingly algorithmic environment. Across both days, discussions highlighted the pivotal role of courts in shaping the governance of AI and data technologies, as well as the importance of sustained interdisciplinary dialogue between law, technology, and policy.

The first day featured keynote interventions by Justice Iseult O’Malley of the Supreme Court of Ireland and Justice Gilmar Ferreira Mendes of the Supreme Court of Brazil, who shared invaluable insights into the challenges and responsibilities facing judiciaries in data-driven societies. The day concluded with thoughtful reflections by Professor Ingo Sarlet (PUC-RS), situating these developments within broader constitutional and democratic frameworks.

Day two of the event was structured around two thematic roundtable discussions.
The first roundtable, “From Judicial to Algorithmic Power: A De-Humanisation of Courts?”, examined the implications of algorithmic decision-making for the role and authority of judges. Contributions were made by Professor Paolo Passaglia (Università di Pisa), Dr Lucia Teixeira Ferreira (IDP), Dr Brian Barry (Trinity College Dublin), Dr Leyse Potira Marostega Zibetti Robl (IDP), and Hannah Garland (DCU), with moderation by Professor Ilton Robl Filho.

The second roundtable, “Beyond the State: The Privatisation of Judicial Power in the Age of AI”, focused on the growing influence of private actors and technologies in judicial and quasi-judicial processes. Speakers included Professor Guilherme Pupe da Nóbrega (IDP), Dr Monique Munarini (Trinity College Dublin), and Dr Pietro Lorenzoni, with moderation by Dr Ellen Rushe.

EMILDAI warmly thanks all speakers, partners, and participants for contributing to a rich, timely, and engaging exchange on the future of courts and judicial power in a data-driven world.